Social media addiction - the 'damaging, negative impact' | ITV News
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful discussion, a group of young individuals from various backgrounds and professions share their perspectives on the rising mental health issues among millennials and Gen Z. They explore the impact of social media, societal pressures, and the struggle to balance multiple responsibilities. The conversation delves into the accessibility and affordability of mental health care, the cultural stigmas surrounding it, and the importance of addressing mental health from a young age. The participants also critique the media's portrayal of mental health, emphasizing the need for a more empathetic and accurate representation.
Takeaways
- 🌐 The script discusses the increased visibility and discussion of mental health issues among young people, particularly millennials and Gen Z.
- 📱 The impact of technology and social media is highlighted as a factor contributing to mental health pressures, with the ease of comparison to others' lives.
- 🏫 The script mentions the academic pressures faced by students, with some dropping out due to mental health conditions, indicating the stress in educational environments.
- 💊 Financial struggles are noted as a barrier to accessing mental health care, with the cost of medication being a specific concern.
- 🤔 There's a debate about whether the societal expectations to excel in multiple areas simultaneously contribute to mental health issues.
- 🍽️ The script uses the metaphor of needing to make every activity 'Instagram-worthy' to illustrate the pressure to perform and share life events on social media.
- 💬 The conversation touches on the lack of immediate professional help for mental health issues, with long waiting lists for therapy being a common issue.
- 🌍 Cultural differences in addressing mental health are mentioned, with some communities relying more on prayer and less on professional care.
- 🏥 The script points out the lack of appropriate facilities for mental health care, comparing it to physical health care where there are clear pathways.
- 📸 There's criticism of the way mental health is sometimes portrayed in the media, questioning whether it's for entertainment or genuine support.
- 🤝 The participants in the script agree that while mental health is being talked about more, there's still a need to ensure the conversation is constructive and helpful.
Q & A
What is the general consensus among the participants about the prevalence of mental health issues among young people today?
-The participants believe that mental health issues have always been present but are now more openly discussed and recognized. They suggest that the pressures and societal expectations have changed over time, leading to increased visibility and reporting of mental health problems.
How does technology impact the mental health of young people according to the discussion?
-The participants suggest that technology, particularly social media, contributes to mental health issues by enabling constant comparison with others' lives and promoting an 'all-at-once' mentality, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and stress.
What is the role of educational institutions in the mental health struggles faced by students, as mentioned in the transcript?
-The transcript indicates that the stress of academic life can lead to mental health issues, with one participant mentioning that over half of their cohort dropped out due to mental health conditions.
How do societal expectations and social media influence the perception of success and self-worth among young people?
-The participants discuss that societal expectations and social media create a pressure to excel in all aspects of life, leading to a fear of missing out and a need for validation through likes and shares on social media.
What challenges do young people face in accessing mental health care and treatment, as discussed in the transcript?
-The transcript highlights issues such as long waiting lists for therapy, the financial burden of prescriptions, and the lack of immediate help for those in non-crisis situations.
How do cultural factors influence the perception and treatment of mental health issues?
-The participants mention that in some African and Eastern cultures, mental health issues are not well understood and are often addressed through prayer or religious means, rather than seeking professional help.
What is the impact of financial constraints on individuals' ability to maintain their mental health treatment?
-One participant shares that they have not taken their antidepressants for about two years due to financial constraints, choosing to prioritize other bills over their medication.
How does the media's portrayal of mental health contribute to public understanding and misconceptions?
-The transcript suggests that the media often uses imagery that may be sensationalized or stigmatizing, such as pictures of people holding their heads in distress, which may not always contribute positively to the understanding of mental health.
What are the participants' views on the necessity of professional care for mental health issues, as opposed to relying solely on religious or spiritual practices?
-While acknowledging that religion can provide comfort to some, the participants emphasize the need for professional care in addressing mental health issues, suggesting that prayer alone is not a sufficient solution.
How do the participants perceive the societal pressure to constantly perform and achieve, and how does this affect mental health?
-The participants feel that there is an expectation to excel in every aspect of life, which can lead to stress and mental health issues, especially when individuals feel they are not living up to these expectations.
What insights do the participants offer regarding the early onset of mental health issues and the importance of addressing them in schools?
-The transcript indicates that mental health issues can start early in life, with the participants discussing the need for awareness and support in schools to help young people cope with the pressures they face.
Outlines
🤔 Millennial Mental Health Concerns
The video script begins with introductions of several young individuals, each identifying their age, occupation, and field of study. The main topic of discussion is the increased prevalence of mental health issues among millennials and younger generations. The participants share their thoughts on why this might be happening, suggesting factors such as increased societal pressures, the impact of technology and social media, and the constant comparison with others. They also touch on the expectations placed on young people to excel in multiple areas of life simultaneously, which can lead to stress and mental health challenges. The conversation highlights the importance of discussing mental health openly and the need for better support systems.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Mental Health
💡Millennials
💡Technological Change
💡Social Media
💡Pressure to Succeed
💡Mental Health Services
💡Cultural Perceptions
💡Stigma
💡Affordability
💡Self-Care
💡Media Representation
Highlights
Different generations are facing mental health issues, with the current generation being more open about it.
Technological changes have increased the pressure to compare oneself to others through social media.
The pressure to succeed academically has led to high dropout rates due to mental health conditions.
Expectations to excel in all areas of life can lead to stress and feelings of inadequacy.
Social media promotes the idea of maximizing every activity, adding to the pressure to perform.
The ease of swiping left or right on dating apps like Tinder can create a mindset of always seeking something better.
Financial struggles can interfere with mental health treatment, as seen with the cost of antidepressants.
Waiting lists for therapy can be lengthy, delaying access to long-term mental health support.
Mental health issues are prevalent among children, with a lack of appropriate facilities for treatment.
In some cultures, mental health is misunderstood and not openly discussed, leading to reliance on prayer or religion instead of professional help.
The media's portrayal of mental health often focuses on imagery that may be sensationalized rather than informative.
There is a debate on whether the media's depiction of mental health is helpful or merely entertaining.
The importance of professional care in mental health is emphasized, as opposed to relying solely on religious or cultural practices.
The discussion highlights the need for better understanding and more effective support systems for mental health.
The transcript suggests that societal expectations and the influence of technology contribute to the mental health challenges faced by young people.
The conversation underscores the complexity of addressing mental health, including the role of education, culture, and accessibility to care.
Transcripts
I'm Kendall I'm 21 and I'm a student
nurse I'm cz I'm 20 and I'm a
neuroscience students I'm Richard I'm 26
and I'm a media consultant I'm Manish
I'm 20 and I'm a psychology student I'm
James I'm 29 I'm a graduate student I'm
Alice I'm 21 and I'm a restaurant
supervisor
I keep hearing and I keep reading the
Millennials and people like you guys
just going into your 20s are facing more
mental health problems than any
generation before what do you guys think
I think it's just always been there it's
just now being talked about mental
health problems obviously existed
throughout times our history but the
pressures have been different about time
in history I think that one big
difference is the technological change
now you can the flip of a screen see
what everyone else is doing and you
instantly compare and you know the first
thing to say is you shouldn't if your
life's not like that oh what am I doing
wrong or I need to have a mic on
mouthing the same how can I be like that
is there a pressure to do well
everything at once you know when I go to
uni we had over half of my cohort drop
out mainly because of mental health
conditions because it was it was so
stressful as I was finishing school I
was going around all the university open
days and thinking this is not where I
want to be this is not the lifestyle
that I want but I feel like I have to
because that's what I've been told I
have to do throughout my school life
everything is targets the increase in
young people saying they have mental
health problems mental illnesses
children taking their lives because they
can't cope at school so is that where
the precious start on completely yeah it
starts when you're at school starts with
the young people and then it carries on
throughout life as individuals I think
we're expected to do so many different
things all at the same time the social
media again sort of promotes this or
expected the sort of max out on
everything it's like you can't just do
go for a jog you have to go and sign up
for half marathon and raise money for a
charity yeah you can't just do that
microwave meal you have to make this
amazing thing and photograph it
otherwise it didn't happen right when
you make amazing meal it has to actually
have massive your social media you think
that pressure I need to make it good for
social media so people like it so I feel
valid yeah you've got things like tinder
where you just swipe left and right
maybe you like and don't like it's so
easy now to see that there's always
something better right around the corner
yes do you guys worry about money and
where you're going to live I genuinely
haven't taken my antidepressants in
probably two years and even though I
still technically I'm meant to be taking
them because I cannot afford my
prescription when I've got a phone bill
and water bill right and everything else
on top of that that's 18 quid that I
just think I'd be selfish too if I if I
let myself comforting myself and
actually spend that on getting NT
depressants do you guys feel like
there's enough help out there I had
therapy for quite a while and right now
I'm on another wasting list for like
longer-term therapy that kind of waiting
list takes ages once you're at once
you're like in a non crisis situation
and you're a little bit older expect to
stay on now English for about two years
or something I work mainly in children's
hospitals but we find so many children
with mental health you know mental
health issues difficulties stuck in
hospital you know if you break your arm
you go toss spittle you know you break
your leg you go toss to if you hurt
inside there's nowhere to go in African
and Eastern cultures it's still a thing
of like no one no one understands it so
no one wants to talk about it the most
of you is some pair to be like okay we
can pray about it we're just lovely like
religion can help some people more for
that but there's a point where you need
for like professional care you can't
really just pray about something and
then it's going to go away mental health
is something we're talking about more
and more in in the media but you think
we're talking about it in the right way
no no one thing that really gets me is
the imagery around mental health and is
you know it can be the the pictures of
people holding their hair yes although
with eating disorders the people that
looking very miserably at the P on their
plates I've had a lot of people ask me
for pictures of when I was really ill
but that still happens of you know can
you know got any pictures you know but
can you send us a picture of you looking
like a skeleton so the people
that you were not well there's that
point of between when is this just
entertaining for your viewers or yeah I
know all your readers and when is it
actually going to help the cause
you
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